Method and apparatus for performing a charging process on an image carrying device

A charging apparatus comprising:

• a charge roller comprising
• a metal core,
• an elastic member wrapped around the metal core and having two ends, and
• film members respectively wrapped around each of the two ends of the elastic member in a circumferential direction of the metal core such that the film members wrap entirely around the respective ends of the elastic member relative to an axial direction of the metal core, wherein no portion of the film members overlap with another portion of the film members relative to a radial direction of the metal core;
• wherein the film members of the charge roller contact an image carrying member configured to have a voltage potential different from a voltage potential of the charge roller.

An image carrying apparatus comprising:

• (a) an image carrying member;
• and
• (b) a charging apparatus comprising
• a charge roller, including
• a metal core,
• an elastic member wrapped around the metal core and having two ends, and
• film members respectively wrapped around each of the two ends of the elastic member in a circumferential direction of the metal core such that the film members wrap entirely around the respective ends of the elastic member relative to an axial direction of the metal core, wherein no portion of the film members overlap with another portion of the film members relative to a radial direction of the metal core;
• wherein the film members of the charge roller contact the image carrying member, and the image carrying member is configured to hold a charge and to carry an electrostatic image.

An electrophotographic image forming apparatus, comprising:

• a charge roller, comprising
• a metal core,
• an elastic member wrapped around the metal core and having two ends, and
• film members respectively wrapped around each of the two ends of the elastic member in a circumferential direction of the metal core such that the film members wrap entirely around the respective ends of the elastic member relative to an axial direction of the metal core, wherein no portion of the film members overlap with another portion of the film members relative to a radial direction of the metal core;
• wherein the film members of the charge roller contact an image carrying member having a voltage potential different from a voltage potential of the charge roller.

A method of preparing a charge roller, comprising steps of:

• arranging two parallel rails on a plate such that when an unfinished charge roller is placed on the rails the ends of an elastic member wrapped around a metal core of the unfinished charge roller are outside the rails, each of the rails having a thickness approximately equal to a thickness of two film members having adhesive surfaces;
• setting the two film members in parallel to each other with the adhesive surfaces facing away from the plate such that the two film members are outside and parallel to respective of the rails and are separated by a distance greater than a longitudinal length of at least one of the two film members;
• placing an unfinished charge roller on the pair of rails so that the ends of the elastic member wrapped around the metal core of the unfinished charge roller are outside the pair of rails;
• and
• rotating the unfinished charge roller along the pair of rails to adhere the film members to the ends of the elastic member.

An image forming apparatus, comprising:

• an image carrying member;
• a charging apparatus facing the image carrying member, the charging apparatus comprising a charge roller including a metal core, an elastic member wrapped around the metal core, and film members respectively wrapped around each of the two ends of the elastic member in a circumferential direction of the metal core such that the film members wrap entirely around the respective ends of the elastic member relative to an axial direction of the metal core, wherein no portion of the film members overlap with another portion of the film members relative to a radial direction of the metal core, and the charging apparatus is configured to apply a voltage between the charge roller and the image carrying member to provide a charge to a surface of the image carrying member;
• and
• a cleaning member configured to contact the surface of the image carrying member to clean the surface of the image carrying member, the cleaning member having ends extended in a longitudinal direction of the image carrying member to a position outside of a corresponding inside edge of each of the film members.